Works have started. Painting the tower will take place over the coming weeks. We'll keep you up to date with sneak peeks along the way.
Work is progressing on the Stratford water tower art installation
What we're doing
We’re completing a major art installation on the Stratford water tower.
The tower will feature art from artist, Alice Pepper, who has cultural connections to Gunai, Yorta Yorta/Mutti Mutti, Gunditjmarra and Arrernte peoples.
The artwork, titled ‘Cultural Flow’, was created especially for us. Alice says the painting shows how Ancestors gathered by the waterways for ceremonies, knowledge sharing and cultural traditions. It also looks to the future, and the pristine, abundant waters we’ll protect for the generations to come.
On the tower, Borun the pelican will appear alongside Wahyang the spoonbill. This represents our ongoing commitment to working with Traditional Owners to manage land and waterways.
Artist impression of Stratford water tower featuring art 'Cultural Flow' by Alice Pepper.
Why we’re doing it
The art is a visual celebration of our dedication to working in partnership with the Traditional Custodians of our region. It reflects our deep respect for First Nations people and provides a cultural learning opportunity for our employees and customers.
When engaging with our customers for our Price Submission 2023-28, customers said they’d like us to work collaboratively with Traditional Owners to raise awareness and a sense of pride in local First Nations culture.
To do so, we committed to commissioning Gunaikurnai artwork for highly visible infrastructure.
We’ve chosen Stratford as the location for our first major Indigenous art installation as the town is home to many culturally significant sites for Gunaikurnai people.
The Stratford water tower is our first major Indigenous art installation. We may look at installing art on other infrastructure in our service area the future.
When we’re doing it
We expect the installation to start in October 2024. It will take around six weeks to complete (weather permitting).
Fast facts
We’re painting the iconic Stratford water tower with art commissioned from Gunai artist Alice Pepper.
Location: Stratford water tower Stratford-Bengworden Rd Stratford
More details
Customer benefits
The art shows our deep respect for First Nations culture. We hope it contributes towards a culturally safe and respectful environment for Indigenous employees, customers and visitors.
Environment and heritage
We’re doing all we can to minimise our environmental impact at the site. This includes:
Safe handling, disposal and recycling of all materials
Minimal power will be used for the installation, keeping CO2 omissions low
No impact on vegetation
Consultation and engagement
We engaged with customers during our Price Submission 2023-28. Customers said they’d like us to work collaboratively with Traditional Owners to raise awareness and a sense of pride in local Aboriginal culture. One of the actions resulting from this feedback was to install Gunaikurnai artwork on highly visible infrastructure. The Stratford water tower is the first project.
We have also consulted with Alice Pepper, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) and Wellington Shire.
We welcome direct comments and enquiries from the community at any time.
